Thank you for the free book, Berkley Romance and Ace Pub!

Brynla is a dragon egg thief with a complicated past. She and her devoted dog Lemi work together to steal highly prized dragon eggs that are sold for their magical properties. During a theft, she’s nearly killed and ends up a captive of Andor for mysterious reasons he refuses to reveal.

This was my first book from this author, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was fast-paced and definitely a fun and interesting concept. I loved the first half, but the second half is where it got lost for me. The first half had banter, slow burn, a mystery, and character building. The second half seemed to throw most of that out the window to become drama-filled and over the top. However, I do think the book will appeal to others and maybe just wasn’t quite right for me.

this started off SO strong and had me so excited but suddenly felt like a completely different story somewhere in the middle. i’m so intrigued by the world this takes place in and the magic system and LOVE andor, but just really struggled with this pacing. i am planning on continuing this series because i do feel like this has a lot of potential and could pick back up in book 2 and the ending definitely leaves room for that to happen. i would still recommend this book and series because i did enjoy my time reading this and was entertained for the majority of this story. i loved the tension between the two main characters as well and the pacing of their relationship felt organic. this just lacked something for me but i do believe book 2 has the potential to redeem this one!

This story was unique in itself I love the fact that if people consumed dragons eggs they acquire magical abilities. To get to this eggs they had to adventure to the island of the dragons, where they were confined a long time ago.

The romance in the story was a delicious slow burn. Brynla was kidnapped and blackmailed by Andor because of her ability of stealing eggs. Along the way she discovers a different new world where she feels free and safe, and secrets about herself that she never suspected. She also discovers that Andor is not what it seems and there is more to him that meets the eye.

My favorite character was Lemi who of course! I love that this book featured a magical dog companion.

I diskliked that Andor was keeping a lot from Brynla. I wish he was more straightforward with her especially after he started to have feelings for her.

Books that have strong female characters are always a favorite of mine. Brynla is special and fierce in her own way. I really enjoyed how Andor fell first. Him being possessive and protective over Brynla, even when it’s against his own family is *amazing*. I wish there was a little bit more to what makes Brynla so special especially after all that trauma she went through, Hopfully in the next book that will come into play more. I also felt like the ideas in this novel were really original which was nice, sometimes fantasy books can be repetitive but the plot of this with the dragon eggs was unique.

I loved this uniqueness of this romantasy!!!! First, I'm a sucker for a standalone romantasy. BUT a series of interconnected standalone romantasies?? Sign me up.

This was like Sopranos meets Game of Thrones with some Dune sprinkled in (suen... spice...same thing). The grief representation was so raw and realistic. I also loved that Brynla was a bada** in her own way.

I can't wait for the next book.

I love that this has chronic pain rep. I was hoping it would be specified more as endometriosis, but sounds like they will continue to look for treatments in the next book so it might yet be explored more. Small spoilers, I got really scared when the dog companion is killed in the first twenty pages but he is okay I promise.

Karina Halle has long been a go-to author for me, especially when it comes to dark, edgy romance, so diving into Realm of Thieves — a romantasy with dragon cults, criminal empires, and forbidden heat — was something I was eager for. While this one delivered plenty of the grit and danger Halle’s known for, it definitely felt like a departure from her usual vibe.

Brynla is the kind of heroine I love: hardened by survival, unafraid to get her hands dirty, and harboring a past tangled up in trauma and rebellion. The illegal dragon egg trade was a fascinating backdrop, filled with high-stakes danger and morally gray characters. Andor, her reluctant captor-turned-reluctant partner, is cut from the classic Karina Halle mold — brooding, ruthless, and impossible not to be intrigued by.

Their chemistry is undeniable, with a good amount of tension and antagonism that slowly boils over into something more. It hits those enemies-to-lovers notes well, even if at times I wanted a little more depth in their emotional connection.

That said, while I enjoyed the book, it didn’t quite top my list of Halle’s work. The pacing occasionally felt uneven, and I found myself wanting a deeper exploration of this world she built — the dragon cult, the magic system, and the criminal dynasties are all so interesting but didn’t get quite as much focus as I hoped. It’s one of those books where the concept feels epic, but the execution didn’t fully match the potential for me.

Dragons. Slow burn. Kidnapping. Banter. Swoon.✨ This romantasy had me in a *chokehold*. Brynla and Andor’s enemies-to-lovers tension? *Chef’s kiss.* The world? So vivid I wanted to move in. Standalone story, addictive plot, and writing that *slaps*.

Add this to your TBR immediately. Your next obsession awaits 🐉🔥📚

In Realm of Thieves, Karina Halle immerses readers into a dragon romantasy filled with twists, an action-packed plot, and a simmering slow-burn romance!

In order to survive, Brynla is a dragon egg thief, risking death for an incredibly dangerous job that is, not to mention, very illegal. She steals eggs for elite families / powerful crime organizations for those that offer the highest payments. Accompanying her on her missions is her biggest asset (and arguably my favorite character), her magical dog, Lemi. That is a bit of a crude description, but seriously this dog was awesome. among other things, he could teleport?? I loved him.

While attempting to steal a dragon egg, Brynla (and Lemi) are kidnapped by Andor of the extremely powerful House Kolbeck. Andor's goal is basically to recruit her (by force using blackmail) and use her dragon egg hunting skills to benefit the house. There is so much animosity between the two of them at first, it's definitely enemies to lovers with a sizzling slow burn, but it was sort of an insta-lust situation which I think made it not as exciting for me. They certainly had electric scenes together and great chemistry, but when there's repeated mentions of their mutual attraction it takes the fizzle out for me just a tiny bit. However, both Andor and Brynla were very well-developed and complex characters in my opinion:

Andor was kind of ADHD and very charming (though not at first), not to mention he deals with a LOT of pressure. Brynla on the other hand was the most stubborn, badass FMC and I absolutely adored her. This book was captivating and I had such a blast reading it!

Thank you so much to Berkeley and NetGalley for this ARC!!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

"𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝘀."

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗:
Two thieves vie for dominance in the illegal dragon egg trade, putting both their lives and their hearts on the line.

𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎:
I really liked this unique take on dragons & magic. The world building felt easy but unique, with these mafia-type houses fighting for dominance.

Overall however, this book just felt flat for me. A lot of the dialogue felt cheesy and immature and I didn’t quite buy into Andor & Brynla’s romance.

I guess I was just hoping for more out of this one!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁:
🐉he kidnaps her
🐉endometriosis rep
🐉magic from dragon eggs
🐉dog companion
🐉 standalone


Thank you to Berkley for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Berkley Ace for the ARC copy! This was a fun, spicy dragon fantasy romance full of determination, yearning, and action.

Brynla was a super unique character, an orphaned baddie with lavender hair doing whatever it takes to make ends meet under bleak circumstances. I will say the story took a bit of time to really take off and start making sense, but as soon as her path crosse with Andor we were off to the races. Their chemistry was insane from the moment they met, and I loved how they both brought out more playful sides of each other despite both of them carrying heavy burdens.

Overall, this was a super fun read! I think Karina set up the next book really well, and I'm excited to see how Vidar's arranged marriage goes!

Realm of Thieves delivers a fresh and thrilling take on dragons in a Romantasy setting. Karina Halle creates a world where different kinds of dragons exist, and humans risk everything to steal dragon eggs from an island full of dangerous dragons. The dragon eggs are highly sought after because they can grant magical powers to humans, adding a really unique twist that felt almost like Jurassic Park meets fantasy mafia romance.

The story follows a badass FMC who’s a skilled thief—and after being abducted by the black sheep son of a powerful mafia family, she’s forced to help them pull off an epic heist. The tension and chemistry between them were so good, and the mafia family dynamics brought extra depth to the story. Plus, she has a magical dog sidekick, which made it even better.

The heist storyline added so much excitement and tension, and the whole world was immersive and unique. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend you give it a try.

Thanks so much to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted ARC!

While I finished reading the text, I did not like any of the characters although I appreciated the ADHD kind of representation in Andor. There were also a couple of continuity issues where things happened that did not make sense to me or made me question the depth of the characters even more.

This book was everything a romantasy reader could want, a dragon filled world with a delicious slow burn romance. It was action packed, fast paced with such beautiful writing. I love the world building Karina has put behind this story. It was written was such imagery I felt as though I was transported into this story.

I thought Bynla and Andors story was so much fun on how it started, her being kidnapped and blackmailed, the animosity between them growing once you peel back the layers and they got to see each other for who they are. Wrapped in such a fun and addicting plot I found myself unable to put this down even for a second.

I love that this is a standalone in an over all connecting series as I am so interested to see more of this world and how intricate it goes. I love getting a conclusion to their romance and how easily Andor made me swoon. I do wish there was a bit more openness towards them in this story but it made for very good plot twists and I loved watching them unfold.

Brynla lost her parents as a child and was forced into a dragon-worshipping cult, which she escapes with the help of her aunt. She now survives by stealing dragon eggs for a powerful family until a close call leads to her capture by Andor, a member of a competing family. With a new partnership comes steamy romance and danger for both Andor and Brynla. World-building and a story told from both perspectives of Byrnla and Andor makes this a captivating romantasy.

⚜️Two thieves vie for dominance in the illegal dragon egg trade, putting both their lives and their hearts on the line in this scorching romantasy.

This book was a mix of How to tame your dragon and Jurassic Park.The story was unique in itself I love the fact that if people consumed dragons eggs they acquire magical abilities. But to get to this eggs they had to adventure to the island of the dragons ( where they were confined a long time ago)

The romance in the story was a delicious slow burn. Brynla was kidnapped and blackmailed by Andor because of her ability of stealing eggs. But along the way she discovers a different new world where she feels free and safe and secrets about herself that she never suspected. She also discovers that Andor is not what it seems and there is more to him that meets the eye.

My favorite character was Lemi who would want a dog with teleportation abilities.

The thing I dislike about the story was that Andor was keeping lots of things from Brynla I wish he was more straightforward with her specially after he started to have feelings for her.

Thievery. Dragon eggs. Romantasy. THIS COVER. I mean seriously, what more do you need? I certainly didn't need more convincing to pick this one up. I thought our main characters were so interesting and unique. Plus this world was so fascinating!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

I typically LOVE Karina Hale's books - they are typically captivating, thrilling, and incredibly fast paced. They're always incredibly well written with these super unique and intricate plots so needless to say I was beyond giddy when I was approved for this book!

This book started out with a bang - the black market dragon trading, the thieves, the magical world that is unlike any I've read before, the teleporting dog!? I fell in love with this book fairly quickly, though I would say that it dragged more in the first half than I've ever had one of her books drag before. The last half though was exactly what I wanted and more. It had me hooked and eager for more - the twists and turns were beautiful, and the romance was straight up sizzling! I am so very eager to see where we go next in this beautiful series!

Karina Halle strikes again!
No matter what mood I’m in, she has something that I will be able to read, enjoy, and recommend to my friends and followers.
The story for this one was pretty unique and I was immediately immersed into their world of thievery and mystery and so many other elements that I loved.
I’m really looking forward to the eventual second book!